1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable information terminal, and specifically relates to a handy-sized compact, lightweight and slim portable information terminal, typified by a portable telephone or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, demands for a mobile wireless device such as a portable telephone or the like and a portable terminal have been increased. Conventional portable information terminals such as a mobile wireless device and the like include a portable information terminal in which an external memory module such as a SmartMedia card, a SD (Secure Digital) memory card or the like is used while being inserted into a connector terminal attached to the portable information terminal. Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2001-189973 discloses a conventional portable telephone.
However, in the conventional portable information terminal in which the external memory module is used while being inserted into a connector terminal attached to the portable information terminal, a connecting socket holder 12 for allowing the external memory module 11 to function is provided as shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the thickness of a mobile information terminal itself and it is difficult to realize further miniaturization, thickness reduction, and weight reduction. Additionally, the handling, saving and reproducing of a large number of information data of moving images, IT information and the like cannot be performed.
Further, when the external memory module 11 is used, a protecting circuit must be provided on the external memory module 11 itself for protecting copy right of information saved in the external memory module 11. Thus, a host circuit for passing information through the protecting circuit provided in the external memory module is also needed in a portable information terminal. Therefore, since electronic parts for the protecting circuit and the host circuit are mounted on the portable information terminal, the volume of the portable information terminal itself is increased. Further, since the external memory module 11 is not present in the portable information terminal body and has a small and simple structure, it can be broken and lost.
Furthermore, to contain a usual memory device in the portable information terminal a board has a plurality of parts so that the thickness of the portable information terminal is rapidly increased by 2 mm of additional parts and the board. Further, when an external memory module 11 is used for realizing a large capacity memory, a socket holder 12 is contained in a terminal device. Thus, the portable information terminal is further increased in thickness by about 2 mm although differentiated by size and arrangement thereof.